Enforced Jellin'

There is a mandatory period of time between when you get the spark of a great idea and when you can actually open a file and start writing something. I used to think that time was optional, that if I was really excited about a project I could just dive in and start writing. That always works until about page 10 when you lift your head up, look around and wonder what in the heck comes next.

Now I let the idea jell in my subconscious for a few weeks until all of the pieces have magically floated into place. On the current "thing I've been thinking about" I just thought of a great subtext to the story while I was drying my hair yesterday. These great ideas often come when you're doing something mundane - I thought of the project while I was on the phone talking about something completely different. It's like my brain was busy thinking about one thing, so my writer brain held up a sign with a great idea written on it, wondering if I was going to notice. I try not to get impatient with the jellin' process because if you hurry it up, you miss lots of good stuff. In the meantime, it's not called staring off into space - it's called working!

On this date: In 1941, my mom was born. Happy Birthday Mom!